Horrific EF-5 Moore, Oklahoma tornado: May 20, 2013

To find out how you can help Moore in the ongoing recovery effort, visit servemoore.com/ or moore.recovers...
On May 20, 2013, storm chasers David Demko and Heidi Farrar documented the disastrous Moore, OK tornado. With tremendous amounts of debris falling around them, they at one point were only one half mile away from the most intense EF-5 strength core tornadic winds, filmed from near the intersection of South Pennsylvania Ave and SW 164th St.

[@charlesduby4602]

now that's pure terror no matter how much you like tornados that's pure terror

[@ogdocvato]

Charles Duby Truly, enough to completely terrify any sane person.

[@marymaggotface1994]

This happened 4 days before my birthday when I was a freshman at Tuttle High School. We saw it on the way home and it was absolutely insane how big it was. My step-dad was in Moore when it touched down and almost drove straight into it. A friend of mine that was living in Moore lost everything and his house was leveled all except for the bathroom where he had to hide within minutes of getting home. The winds were so powerful that his graduation gown sleeve actually went through a wall. Very sad day for Oklahoma.

[@SFbayArea94121]

I was getting a sex change while it happened

[@marymaggotface1994]

@@SFbayArea94121 Congratulations on your sex change! I wish you all the best!

[@HuffSSC]

HOLY CRAP

[@deathbloom27]

That's insane! So many stories, I'm so glad your friend was okay.

[@jillianc6172]

That is harrowing to imagine, especially after watching this. I’m glad you and your friend made it through.

[@emilykessler6544]

When my mom was 12 and her sister was 13 they lived in ceiling, OK and they got the warnings about a big tornado and they were baby sitting a baby and they were home alone, they got all the warnings and didnt know what to do. Their parents werent answering their phones so they ran outside with the baby and ran doen the street knocking on houses and finally someone let them in. Bless them.

[@shelbycazares4417]

3:34 he was passing my neighborhood. I was right there as that was happening. Wow didn't know how it looked from there.

[@veronicarosanelli6747]

me and my family was in this one. In the trailer park behind the warren theatre. It tore the whole trailer park up. We was all asleep while it was travelling , luckily my sister woke us all up and we had to run out that door and wait under a bridge for my mom to come from work. It defiantly was scary asf. Grateful we was all okay. I feel so sorry for those who lost their lives.

[@Furyan]

Veronica Chunn WasOrWere.com/ Please learn the difference.

[@lilly2874]

***** LOL!!! You're absolutely right! If that is the only insult you can hurl at someone then they're living a pretty good life. I realize that it can be an annoyance for some people, but in an instance like this, let it go. She is telling her story which is significant to the video. Lumous has chosen to grace us with her insignificance by being grammar police. Move along.

[@veronicarosanelli6747]

Yes Turk420 the whole trailer park I was in was damaged, pretty much leveled.

[@jesuszavala4996]

Dam

[@Hornblas189]

Tornados really hit trailer parks? I thought that was just a myth they made up to keep us in line. The more you know!

[@cathrynmay1635]

"This was on my birthday." "OMG mine too !" "It was 2 days after mine." WHAT THE HELL DOES A TORNADO AND A BIRTHDAY HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER ??!??!??

[@OCDTraci]

IKR? Like.....happy....birthday?

[@damonfleming3952]

People associate events that happened on their birthdays. It’s what people do.

[@cortneyellyn3233]

Came here to say it is a way people remember things, an important event in their lives and something crazy happened the same day. It’s actually really normal.

[@Kingofthehill3]

Maybe just some nice Fun

[@travismason3264]

It means you were adopted, sorry.

[@angelicahamilton8643]

I was in high school when this happened. It was the most scariest thing I've been through. My heart broke when I found out an elementary school got destroyed and so many kids and teachers lost there lives that day.

[@dylanbriggs1791]

Pretty shitty day for Oklahomans

[@rmadilla24]

Thank you Dave and Heidi, this is definitely one of the best tornado videos out there. The intensity of this storm was insane, and the fear heard in Heidi's voice while you were chasing this beast had me on the edge of my seat!

[@tinneydustin11]

I was at my grandparents home in Blanchard when this storm hit. As my grandpa and I were heading to the storm shelter, we watched it spin right over top of us. We later came to find out it touched down a couple of times just a couple of miles away just before going close behind the Walmart there in Newcastle. Then crossing the Canadian river. My cousin and her boyfriends house was unfortunately gone.

[@FliFac]

@@tinneydustin11 dude my grandpa was in the walmart

[@FliFac]

my grandpa was in the walmart

[@ruth4489]

your video footage is fabulous! It really captures the sound, speed, and force of the tornado. It is truly scary how monstrous that thing was. I have never seen a tornado moving that fast either in all my years.

[@section8usmc53]

I feel for the passenger though. I remember each time I brought someone with me for their fist time. When someone doesn't understand the weather in the technical aspect, it can be downright terrifying, because you just don't know. She'll get the hang of it, get used to it, and learn about it. It's a process and a learning curve. Good job on the video.

[@BretDouglas]

Only four "Oh My Gods?" Must've been an F4.

[@ambreenn]

it was actually an EF5

[@stormnchill]

@@ambreenn thats the joke

[@ambreenn]

oh sorry i didnt know it was a joke

[@benunderwood8940]

@@ambreennissa joke my bro

[@mattieice4689]

@@benunderwood8940 It wasn’t a particularly intelligent or funny joke

[@Hallow334]

Outstanding video. You guys had the perfect positioning. It was unbelievable how massive that tornado was at times. A 2 mile debris ball at one point.

[@TrevorShrier]

I SEE MY HOUSE AND OLD SCHOOL!!! I SO FREAKING LUCKY

[@anarchistatheist1917]

This tornado was almost as wide as the tri state tornado of March 18th 1925. This tornado was 1.08 miles wide at its peak. The tri state tornado was 1.3 miles wide when it was in the area of Carmi Illinois.

[@flashy5150]

Every time I watch this, I can't get over the size of the tornado compared to the size of those huge hydro towers. The hydro towers look so small compared to that monster tornado.

[@SeatLeonMK2]

and the speed at which the tornado is spinning makes it look smaller

[@INTERNATIONALvids]

Thanks for filming and sharing with the rest of us who might never ever come close to anything like this. Sorry to those who lost in this storm.

[@tonychen3368]

As a fellow Canadian living in Toronto, I would never imagine something like this could even disrupt such a huge community in the City of Olkaholma. This is one of the violent Tornadoes I have ever seen, in my life. And I'm so happy that these kids are actually safe. Cause it all thanks to the teachers that forced their lives to safe theirs. That is a big, big accomplishment. Wanna give my full respects out to the victims of the Moore Olkaholma city Torando. May you all rest in peace. God is with you! Amen! :)

[@higood-bye7240]

+Tony Chen Do you get some tornadoes in Toronto? Here in Oklahoma we have them every year but not nearly as big.

[@tonychen3368]

J.T. um I don't know.

[@moonlight4887]

This isn't the Moore tornado

[@simkani3294]

Tony Chen good to know you are Christian! I am, too! :)

[@EbonynIvory83]

In a bizarre way this is incredibly beautiful !!! I'm very sorry for the lives lost :(

[@Douglas_I]

Thankfully it didn't get to a highly populated area but it's still extremely sad. 😢

[@3434arc1]

Great job recording this beast. This video is the absolute best I've heard so far at capturing the deafening roar.

[@stephenofsthun1612]

At 3:50 My friend and I were up in the 3rd car from the intersection! This was By far the WORST Tornado I've witnessed!

[@shawngodin1426]

cool

[@youtubemoderationtaskforce5583]

Is that Santa Fe Avenue?

[@youtubemoderationtaskforce5583]

Stephen Ofsthun you were a good mile away from the tornado at that point.

[@youtubemoderationtaskforce5583]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6rTZ3aIm9iKf9U

[@laraisokay]

When a tornado is so absolutely huge that the sky looks otherwise sunny. What a devastating day. RIP to all the lost souls and for the survivors, I pray that you’ve have been able to build your lives again. Much love from California.

[@jbolton5221]

I can just tell you that, that was a truly terrifying day. I was in the Joplin one as well. I haven’t seen Joplin in 10 years and I haven’t seen Moore in 8 years. I’ll honestly never forget those tornados

[@gerald4535]

@@jbolton5221 Jesus Christ. I really hope you're doing okay mentally. I can't even imagine.

[@BusinessMudkip]

Well, the tornado from this viewing angle as probably backlit.

[@haileighcombs2772]

people say move out of Moore but I say no because I love Moore because the community and how nice people are and Moore has everything and again we had another tornado in 2015 it hit my school .

[@valkam1344]

+Haileigh Combs Best of luck to you this season! I live in Norman.

[@RedCloudBeechWaveAhh]

just please be always in touch with weather, and always be near a shelter!

[@snuffedtorch3683]

Yes, Moore is great. It's in the middle of everything. As long as you have a plan in place, you're solid. Looks like we're gonna get something this year.

[@mikekodiac1384]

this happened while I was a freshman at SouthMoore High school. it was a very horrible day.

[@minniemols3301]

Omg where did u go?

[@haileighcombs2772]

+Michael Steffen I live in Moore too I lived 2 blocks away from where it hit . well I still do and I was at school at a awards ceremony . so what did you do when it happened ?

[@mikekodiac1384]

+Haileigh Combs I was at SouthMoore High school in a classroom with my sister.

[@haileighcombs2772]

Michael Steffen I was in a storm shelter with water .

[@Solzkjaarn]

I always get mixed feelings seeing videos of tornado's like this. I'm amazed at the sheer power of them and feel for the people effected by this. With me living in the UK i haven't witnessed a tornado and would love to see one but not with the destruction like that. R.I.P to the people that died

[@theobserver3346]

the Joplin footage is Monster! Great Job .. The rapid development shows how quickly these storms transform.. I witnessed both the May '99 and the Moore 2013 Storms and chased the Norman F1 here in my neighborhood.. Great Storm Compilation.. ..Thanks for making this video..

[@csh143]

This one still scares the hell out of me! I remember watching it on TV and balling my eyes out hearing about all the kids and men and women who lost their lives..

[@TwistLosi]

Anyone with storm chasing knowledge can get a pretty good idea of how powerful a tornado is without looking at damage, the speed of the rotation is pretty evident here that it was in the EF4 - 5 range.

[@AchlysLul]

I can just remember, the feeling i had, when i heard it from my school that it struck by my house.... i just thought i have lost everything i owned along with everyone else...

[@AdamsBrew78]

I moved to northern Alabama a year ago and there’s far more tornado producing weather than apparently ever before here, lately. Twice I’ve been a few miles from deadly tornados, scared shitless as I have no storm cellar or basement even.

[@mattieice4689]

The past 10 years it’s gotten worse there.

[@laraisokay]

It’s funny you say that. I decided to do a search for Tennessee tornado activity the other day (as my family is in Nashville) and there is a new tornado alley that includes both Tennessee and Alabama. I went to college in Birmingham. Stay safe in your beautiful state.

[@13_cmi]

Both of the super outbreaks affected Alabama and other states in that general area. It’s not a new thing. But it does look like it’s getting a bit worse.

[@DickDangerMoto]

" It's so big I cant fit the whole thing in my viewfinder" .... That's what SHE said.

[@davidca96]

+Jacob Nachimson lelel

[@anthonymullen6300]

b******* I just scroll down to make fun of that remark and you beat me to it .... damn you !!

[@julienguyen8857]

OMFG

[@gmlaster]

Channeling Pecos Hank! 😂

[@karmannanneegan4880]

IMHO, this is the best footage of this particular tornado, by far! The sound quality was awesome! Thanks for posting.

[@sabishiihito]

Heidi freaking out in the background (as usual), but this time it was understandable.

[@bobbebouche9121]

sabishiihito lmao Totally freaking out

[@leokingjackson2966]

Lmao Heidi be so Dramatic.

[@summeronio9751]

Holy crap, dave

[@eleventothesun1158]

@John Deez Dude! Whya so rude in every comments section😂 you're being a jerk on another tornado video

[@biscuitcase83]

Heidi is not dramatic. It's adrenaline pumping and sheer awe

[@Pianoman42100]

I lost a sister and a nephew as a result of this. In Oklahoma City now. Funeral services are set for Friday. I am still heart broken, and my brother-in-law is just overwhelmed with grief.

[@biscuitcase83]

The SPIN on that tornado is incredible!

[@youtubemoderationtaskforce5583]

3:45 “do not go north” You probably would have been fine. You had about a half a mile between you and the strong winds and about a mile away from the strongest part at that point at Santa fe Avenue and it was moving east north east. You would have been tracking behind it and getting an awesome shot. Would have been risky though. You guys are pretty brave damn

[@emiliescott777]

I was actually four years old when this happened, though luckily I wasn't in that area so I was perfectly safe . . . BUT STILL! HORROR! TERROR! TRAUMATIZED! COULD YOU IMAGINE?! Well, I bet not a lot of you had to imagine, because you probably were in the area! I'm so sorry for all of you that were! I wish you nothing but happiness and safeness, lots of love. I pray for you. 💕💞

[@madelync5912]

Harry Potter I was also 4

[@simkani3294]

2:22 look at the violent motion! That is definitely an ef5!

[@mmanda515]

Phew.... I'm terrified just watching, so I give you SOOO much credit for just being that close. Great job documenting it... thank you. My heart & prayers go out to everyone there!!

[@juanviruete8939]

And this is why sometimes I hate living in Oklahoma

[@vinipcplayer]

the fear must be maddening...every time the sky gets cloudy comes the question: today is gonna be the day?

[@koolkitties8552]

Tornados happen almost everywhere but its seems Okie gets THE worst ones.

[@sabishiihito]

@@koolkitties8552 it does seem like OKC metro area gets more violent tornadoes than anywhere else. Moore alone got hit by an F5, an EF-4 and this EF-5, El Reno had an EF-5 in 2011 and of course the EF-3 in name-only, 2.6 mile-wide monster about a week after this one. I've read of another tornado that hit Mulhall the same day as the famous Moore one in 1999 that might even have been stronger.

[@oBseSsIoNPC]

Finally someone with an HD recording. Some storm chasers others are. It is incredible to be fascinated by the force developed by tornado's and trying to understand them. And completely forgetting how many life's are effected by this. The amount of debris around the funnel speaks for itself. Good footage. There is nothing "great" about this, but it sure is amazing.

[@haileighcombs2772]

I'm so glad I was in a storm shelter when the tornado hit the the Moore hospital because I lived like 2 blocks away from where it hit that day I will always remember that day I was at my awards ceremony i'm glad my mom did what she did . That day was very cruel. Me and my mom and my brother were in the storm shelter and other people too could here the roar of the monster . now I know how big the tornado was wow . please don't be rude to me . I love the weather my dream is when I get older I want to be a meteorologist .

[@kpopfanforever7720]

Haileigh Combs im late but why would anyone be rude?

[@simkani3294]

I would wanna be a meteorologist too... Or even better, a storm chaser!

[@SoonerMagicJ2009]

I'm still thankful my family made it through this it missed my aunts house by just a couple blocks she had damage from the debris.

[@Bork008]

Prepare yourself before you get hit by the F5 of Brock Lesnar

[@Unprepared]

Bork008 loool

[@chrisdanger7464]

HOLY SH*T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Lumberjackabe]

This is the most gut-wrenching tornado video. To see debris from buildings falling around them, knowing people were dying..

[@gabrielsever7359]

God Bless Moore! Keep them in your mind, and say a prayer.

[@mikeiniraq07]

The e stands for enhanced I believe. Since the original scale of mesurement was tweaked to be more accurate

[@flashy5150]

It does sound like a giant turbine or a jet engine

[@sbentjies]

The roar was amazing

[@biscuitcase83]

Yeah, it's insane. The Jarrell tornado sounded very similar, I was in the town that day visiting relatives. Will never ever forget the sound and sight of that thing as it wiped a nearby subdivision off the map. None of the Jarrell footage really captures the way that monster sounded

[@bobvila4381]

Is that the woman that gets super excited I can hear in the background? She's the best!

[@justinvaliente2432]

r.i.p tim smaras

[@biscuitcase83]

Wrong Tornado. That was El Reno 11 days later

[@MrVTXFrank]

My house was hit by an EF4 tornado. There are a few things that come to mind every time I hear the word "tornado". The sound was like a billion tons of sandpaper scouring the face off the earth and then, the smell. A deep, raw, earthy smell. I recall thinking at the time, "This is what a grave in the woods would smell like." The temperature drop. On a 75° day I could see my breath. The near total darkness. It was terrifying to say the least.

[@SithMami]

These two sound like a South Park episode. 'Dont forget to bring a towel!'

[@gmlaster]

You just killed me!!! 😂😂😂

[@kodyfelker5629]

that thing was less than half a mile from my house and the school i was sheltered in and while it was happening i had no idea how bad it was. then i went outside and was forever changed by the devastation it had left behind.

[@canadian3743]

Good thing I live in Canada where there's like no tornadoes

[@trainsso790]

Same!

[@canadian3743]

+Dakota Wolfcloud Probaly the next tornado in Canada will be like in 3,000 centuries

[@erinreniewick8829]

I live in Canada and the school behind my house was hit by a tornado before I started going there. They re built it and now it's called the Lawfield tornados.

[@trainsso790]

+Mr speedy yeah!!😆

[@Cellmate412162]

The Canadian Gamer Let’s not forget the Elie Manitoba Tornado in 2007, which was an F5. And then there’s the Tecumsech, Ontario Tornado in 1946, which was an F4. And of course, the infamous Edmonton Tornado in 1987, which was also an F4.

[@TheHandofChiron]

it was 1.3 miles wide with a 2.25 mile wide debris ball. The debris field itself streatched nearly 5 miles around the epicenter.. Unfortunately I live in Moore, Ok and after the tornado crossed I-35 at it's peak F-5 scale, it passed my house by about 200 feet. We were fortunate to have a home still standing with only minor damage compared to others.

[@juanviruete8939]

I was 6 when this happened

[@isaiahbryant17]

I live in Norman, just one town over. I went to Moore to volunteer after it happened, and it's definitely terrible. I feel awful for the people living there, especially since this isn't the first time they've been affected by an EF-5. I must say, it's amazing how they have all banded together during this. People are out in droves to help one another. As someone who is a fairly cynical individual, I thought it was heartwarming to see people come from miles to help all these families.

[@LadyLuxInterior]

I'm an atmospheric science student. I'm pretty sure I have a good idea. It doesn't matter how LARGE a tornado is, it's the scope of damage it leaves behind that determines the EF rating. Since they switched from the F scale to the EF scale, they have incorporated wind speed, types of damages, etc., to the decision on the EF-rating of a tornado, but simply looking at it is not a reason to declare it's an F5 before even surveying damage. I'm saying that saying such things before you know is silly.

[@jmort1976]

I'm am so sorry for your Loss . Try to stay strong !!! We are Praying for Everyone affected by this Horrific Disaster from here in Pennsylvania .

[@AtarahDerek]

No need to shout. The rating was officially upgraded to EF5 today, with wind speeds exceeding 210 mph. The Joplin tornado had estimated wind speeds of 250 mph. After that point, destruction is so complete there's no way of telling how fast the wind was blowing.

[@wendell707]

you guys are the best of the best "Storm Chasers" one hell of a tornado

[@CH3CH2OCH2CH3net]

What's especially disheartening about the tornado shown in this video is the slow forward speed of the storm. If one compares the edge of the tornado to stationary objects towards the viewer, the forward speed is quite slow - I'd guess around 20 mph. That means that areas directly impacted by the storm were in tornadic winds for up to 4 1/2 minutes.

[@PrinceofPeace9957]

Wow. That took some nerve. The debris and that roar from 250 mph winds is just unreal. Such destruction.

[@havoth]

I know you feel lost. My heart goes out to you and your family. All I can do is give you my best intentions and an e-hug.

[@rodan70]

Wow. Tornadoes are so beautiful. That much power and destruction. I'm glad you all got some good HD video of that twister. I have never seen so much debris! Gotta respect mother nature.

[@TwistLosi]

Where did I mention size? a tornado is rated by wind speeds which is estimated from the structures it damages and my comment states that chasers can get a good idea of the speed / power of a tornado without needing to see actual structural damage. A chaser needs to calculate things on the fly and quickly, what the women said was correct as a estimate (she was not declaring the rating) considering what was happening not far from them.

[@siLveRscOpe13x]

In many videos, you can clearly hear sirens going off. In this one, it's just the noise of the wind and the quality of the audio that prevents you from hearing it clearly. In some parts, you can hear the siren. It's there, just very faint.

[@BoomerKeith1]

Amazing footage. Excellent job David and Heidi!

[@AmySpivey01]

My sister lives right down the road from Orr family farm. The tornado missed their house but shifted the House 2 in on their foundation.

[@SoonerVIC2]

His mic wasn't picking up the wind, what you are hearing is the rumbling roar this tornado made. No wind muff in the world would have silenced that. I heard it first hand from my storm shelter about a mile south of it...

[@toodlum48]

Wow! This is now the best tornado video I have seen thus far! Good job of filming such a devastatingly destructive force of nature!

[@Hallow334]

You can give a really good estimate based on the size and on how violent the tornado is. She wasnt far off.

[@longbeach225]

I'm a meteorology major and my professor has said to he entire class he has not seen a tornado this severe in his entire career. I hope in my young career in this field we can better predict tornadoes from radar and other new developing instruments. It's hard for me as a meteorologist to look at radar and witness a debris ball knowing what is going on the ground. Horrible.

[@clovey143]

This is terrible... All my prayers go out to the people that lost a loved one and to the people that actually survived this. God bless you all

[@jackjackson7872]

Really sorry to hear that, to the point I can't even comprehend that. Best of luck to you, from York, England.

[@stormandrailfan96]

At 3:34, they drive by a siren but it's not going off! If you have sirens in town, use them; they're there to warn people of "hazardous weather", clearly on this video.

[@AtarahDerek]

They're saying the total damage from this tornado could exceed Joplin. Fewer people died in this tornado because they actually take warnings seriously in Moore, knowing that they're very prone to tornadoes. Joplin's death toll was due in large part to complacency. People stopped heeding the warnings.

[@kristywarner8325]

I wonder how long it takes to get the sound of the tornado out of your mind. It must be so traumatic and emotionally damaging to witness one of these, let alone get caught in one. But on the other hand, incredibly awesome and adrenaline filled to be able to watch this happen in real life.

[@stormyferreira]

it was an EF5 in certain places.The one in Joplin started out one,the whole sky came down on us.it grinded and grinded,and we did have plenty warning,sirens went off two times,we are just so use to hearing them,sorta ignored it,tell it was to late.and actually Moore is now saying like 23 deaths .we had over 160 deaths.

[@hbomatt]

Um, yeah you can tell if you're just looking at it. When pieces of house are being thrown a mile up in the air and debris is falling miles away, you can tell.

[@archbuilder71]

at about 2:25 in the video it was over my house. The destruction was unimaginable, but the courage of the people who live here was what shined. No one waited for the government or FEMA or a hand out, we picked up what we had, helped each other, and started down the long road of rebuilding. The real story isn't shown here, but in the tens of thousands of selfless acts that occurred in the days following and the thousands and thousands of volunteers who helped out.

[@AtarahDerek]

1. No need to shout. There's no tornado right now, so we can all hear you just fine. 2. Sirens have backup power supplies specifically because urban tornadoes take down powerlines. 3. Yes, they DID get complacent. That's a HUGE problem all over Missouri. Few people take tornado warnings seriously. I was talking to a former storm chaser just today who was there. He could see the twister mere blocks away, and yet there were pedestrians out, totally ignoring his warnings.

[@AlaskaB83]

The Enhanced Fujita Scale is a damage measurement with a rough wind speed correlation.They decided what EF a tornado is based on the type of damage it creates not wind speed

[@26michaeluk]

I know, the whole point I am making is that there are would be EF5 tornadoes that no one sees or rates. Since there would be no damage and no recording of the intensity of the winds, then it would not be rated. Only if it causes damage could we realize how strong it is.

[@jonparker7592]

I am from just south of that area. I was told by a friend who works for the state that the slow moving of this storm made it terrible. It was like a mile wide bull dozer

[@WastdTrashPanda]

Closest one that made people think of creating an f6 rating was the may 3rd 1999 tornado in Moore, OK - it had wind speeds of 318 MPH (the fastest recorded speed from any storm).

[@SqurrulGurl]

WOW!!! Thank God you're okay!!! Prayers to you Oklahoma!

[@SirRobbins]

as others stated, E is for enhanced, though many scientists disagree with it and have stated the original fujita scale is more accurate.

BZZZZT! sorry, that is incorrect the extended fujita scale is a measurement of wind speed damage assessment is used to determine what said wind speed was and thus to assign it an EF classification

[@jasonnash3867]

Praying for the people of Moore OK, from Hackleburg AL site of the April 27th 2011 EF 5 that devastated our town

her *first* storm chase was a nighttime EF-4 better known as the historic February 5th, 2008, 122-mile "groundscrubber" that devastated 7 counties across the Arkansas Ozarks. wedge tornadoes do not form unless the wind is violent. and the area covered by the tornado is also indicative of its strength. she also observed the type of structures being damaged regardless, she was dead on. NWS initially called this an EF 4 and upgraded it to an EF5 after the damage survey

[@graythegod]

only just seen this message,cheers for taking the time to answer and not giving some dumb sarcastic comment.

[@AtarahDerek]

I'm not saying the Joplin storm wasn't stronger. I'm saying it might be beaten out for total damages. The Moore tornado took a casual stroll through a densely populated area, while the Joplin tornado moved more quickly and its urban damage path wasn't as long. So the Moore tornado had more time to thoroughly chew its food, as it were.

[@jeffreymccall4561]

I think this was more than a F5, When they issued this warning, they issued a tornado emergency, something I have never heard in my life. Amazing.

[@Nikki4903]

They are saying this twister was worse than the Joplin tornado because it directly hit a school full of children and a hospital, plus all the damage that this thing did.

[@LandaLopez]

Oh my Lord that deafening horrible sound of destruction. I can't believe the rage mother nature can sometimes have. For those people I know they will never forget this and pray my God to send them some healing in time.

[@AtarahDerek]

That tornado must've damaged your hearing if you feel you have to shout all the time... I'm not saying Joplin isn't densely populated. I'm saying it's not AS densely populated as the portion of the OKC area that the Moore tornado hit. The Joplin tornado was also traveling faster, so it had less time than the Moore tornado did to prove its EF5 status. Yes, I HAVE been to Joplin, both before and after the tornado. It's the size of the town I live in, not a suburb of a million plus city.

[@paulasaylor2481]

Asllover, heartfelt thoughts, I'm in complete shock..one thing to watch news rather than actual videos, God bless, love from Kentucky

[@AtarahDerek]

A lot of people, including the surveyors, believe the final rating will probably be EF5. But they have to estimate conservatively until they've finished the survey.

[@MemosToys]

Wow, that is crazy. My prays to the family that was effect from this tornado.